by Taj McCoy El
“Stop squeezing me bum or I’ll cut your eyes out and feed them to that gorblasted chicken meself.” a gruff voice said.
“Oh…sorry. Why is the ground up?”
“Listen here lad, just shut up and go limp. We’ll have you right in a jiff.”
“Okay,” Mo agreed and went full rag doll. His arms swung limply and his lips kissed bottom with every step.
“Oopsy daisy, now.” The gruff voice then rolled Mo off his shoulder to the ground where he lay in a limp pile giggling.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Mo asked and without waiting for an answer, he whispered, "I was kissing your butt. That’s funny.”
“No more funny business outta you. Here drink this.”
Liquid was poured down his throat. As it hit his stomach the focus of his mind returned. It was at that moment he realized he was drinking what tasted like freshly soiled sewer water with a hint of rotten watermelon. He tried to pull the vile vial away from his mouth, but the rough hands forced him to drink.
Having finished his forced feeding he pulled away batting at hands and scrambling away from the person that from had forced such a horror down his throat.
He leaned away and gagged but then found his nausea had disappeared, quite unlike the taste in his mouth.
“What was that?” he retched and gave a full body shiver. He finally noticed he was talking to Crassel.
“Healing potion. My own recipe.”
“Tastes like—” Mo noticed the knocker’s hand go to his knife. He swirled his words around in his mind while he swirled the putrescent taste around in his mouth. “Like watermelon. Definitely watermelon.”
The hand dropped from the knife.
“So, what happened?” Mo looked around trying to figure out where he was.
“You took a knock to the head and wen’all limp and cabbage. Decided to take a nap in the middle of a battle, ya did.”
Mo checked his logs and found he had received a severe concussion.
“Thanks, Crassel. By the way you’ve got a really nice bum.” Crassel’s hand went back to his knife. “Just kidding. I was half out of my mind when I did that. Besides, you can lord that story over my head till the end of time. Also, thanks for the potion, I don’t think I thanked you yet.”
Crassel grimaced and let the knife go. “Well, I owed ya one for earlier. And I cain’t stands to be in anyone’s debt.”
“I wasn’t keeping count. But thanks.”
Crassel nodded.
Mo decided to check in on the battle with the mud chicken, or lutodae as the system pegged it.
Booms: What’s going on guys?
Bonkers: This’ll be finished in a blink. Just sit tight.
Thank god he doesn’t type like he talks.
“So, Crassel, have you noticed that you’ve threatened to pull your knife on me twice in the last three minutes?”
Crassel’s hand went to his knife. “What are you talking about?”
“Look at your hand Mo pointed to his dagger.”
Crassel looked at his hand on the hilt and his face furrowed in thought. It seemed to take some effort to get his fingers to uncurl from the knife.
“Why?” he asked puzzled.
“Bonkers and I think it has something to do with your negative reputation. Subconsciously you reach for your weapon whenever you’re even the littlest bit annoyed.” Mo leaned back against a stump. “That might have some bearing on why you guys start fights without trying. I think it’s worth mentioning to the boys.”
“You may have a point there.”
“By the way your potion tasted horrible.”
Crassel’s hand moved towards his hilt but he managed to stop it just before he made contact.
“Blummin crikey and begonias, that was hard.”
“What was?” Mo inquired.
“Even when I was focused on it my hand flew on its own. Took a fair bit of concentration to stop, it did. Gonna have to share this with the boys.”
"I think we should have a meeting with everyone and discuss this as a group. all the knockers can benefit from this.”
“Why?”
“Why have a meeting with all the knockers?” a perplexed Mo asked.
“No. Why do ye help us? I mean this can’t be easy. Most can’t stand within ten feet of us without spitting at us and you, you just help us, for nothing.”
“Well, Crassel, I was told that there is a war coming and I would love to be friends with a group of grizzled and seasoned roughnecks. I may not have leveled but I have gotten a few skills out of the training and I’m appreciative.”
Crassel sniffed and turned away from Mo.
“You okay there Crassel?”
“S’been a long time since someone did something for me and asked for nothing in return, is all.”
“Well, let’s get all of you sorted, and then you can pay it forward.”
“Pay it forward? Never heard the term.”
“It means if someone does something kind for you without asking for anything and you have no way to make it up to them or they don’t want anything from you, you take that good and pass it along to someone else when you have the chance.”
Mo thought about all the people who had helped him become the young man he was today. From teachers and coaches and especially his family. Especially Mayah.
“I’ve had people be kind to me my whole life and I don't think it’s right to be treated badly just because someone is down on their luck.
"I saw the map you made Crassel, it was a work I could never hope to emulate. And the hands that drew it can make beautiful things—want to make beautiful things. There’s no way I could stand aside and let that beauty die without sharing it with the world? Who would I be if I did?”
Mo placed a hand on Crassel’s shoulder. Crassel’s hand jerked to his knife but he stopped short again.
“Trust is a two-way street and hard thing to get back once broken, but it is possible.”
Crassel sniffed and wiped his face and mumbled, “Thank you.”
“Least I could do. Wanna go find the others?”
“No need for that moy little chickadee,” Bonkers voice boomed in Mo’s ear making him leap out of his skin.
“Gnarlzdabbit, Bonkers! Give a man some warning. We were having a moment over here.” Mo noticed Bonkers covered in liberal splatters of mud.
“Oi noticed,” Bonkers almost sang. “Crassel saw me, didn’ya?” Crassel nodded and sniffed again.
“The bigger question, is why you didn’? I’ve been doing this to youse all day and youse haven’ even picked up on me once. What’s your perception at?”
“Eleven.”
“Ah… no wonder. I’ll make it a bit easier for ya next time.”
Mo just groaned. Next time, he says… Just at eleven he says…
“Well, let’s get a move on. It’s getting a bit dark-ish and that last chicken had more than one elemental power. Oi reckon, by moy additions, that the rest of them will have more than one as well. Don’t want to run into another one in the dark. Six Chickens in one day sounds loike a good start. We can finish them off tomorrow.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Mo agreed.
Bonkers led them off to the field where some knockers were trussing up the chicken for portage. Ziggs floated over.
“Hey Booms, I got footage of you getting flipped three times through a mud tornado, and then smacking your head against a small boulder. Wanna see?” the she-bot asked
“Really? Not even ‘Hey Booms are you okay? Hey Booms, any negative statuses?’ Just went right to shame and dismemberment? Thanks so much for your concern.”
“One I didn’t need to ask those things because I can see your statuses on my party interface. Two, if you were ready to go back out and fight then you must’ve been fine.”
She has a point.
“But what about emotionally? I could’ve been traumatized?” Mo countered.
“Could’ve schmould’ve. Requoting point two, yo
u wanted to go back into battle. When does shellshock work like that?”
Dang she’s good. I guess guilt’s not gonna work.
“Only when you’re worried about your teammates,” Mephi chimed in. “He could’ve gotten the aggressive side of PTSD?”
“Mr. optimism and speed force? Nah, he’s gentle as a kitten. Nothing's gonna change that.”
Mephi looked between Mo and Ziggs. “Really?”
Ziggs' lights turned pink, and then a light red.
“Okay time to go back to the ranch!!!” Ziggs spun on air and moved across the field a bit faster than normal.
"I don’t get it.” Mo whispered to Mephi.
“Not at all.” Mephi chuckled.
Mo sighed and fell in with the knockers headed back to Driskel’s farm.
It’s been a long day. I wish I could take a hot steamy shower and go to sleep. His thoughts traveled to Mayah. Hope you’re doing okay in that dungeon lil sis.
They followed the procession towards Driskel’s farm in relative silence. The noise from the surrounding woods making their journey a bit more animated when hoots, howls, and bird calls came from the darkening depths around them.
Heads would turn to the sound. Sometimes an arrow would fly and a knocker would run off and come back with a small game creature of some sort. It was all rather unimpressive until a Squawk mixed with a train whistle erupted off to their right. A hot white cloud came from the woods and settled upon the middle of the line and began spreading outwards.
When it hit Mo’s nose, he could feel the moisture in it. Well I did ask for steamy shower.
He pulled his mask on in case the vapor was toxic. Visibility was dropping quickly, and he could hear the spooked knockers start to moan and complain.
Booms: Everyone stay quiet! This thing can probably track you with sound.
The caravan moved forward albeit a bit slower and more wary. The steam increased in thickness, and it sweltered. Mo felt drips of perspiration coming from every pore of his skin. It made it hard to breathe in his mask and since no one else was having issues he removed the mask. His skin instantly became damp, and he tried to swallow the soup-like atmosphere air into his lungs.
On the friends chat he typed,
Booms: It’s like breathing in a sauna while a gorilla holds you in a headlock. That is all.
Ziggs: It’s like Louisiana had a heatwave during a heatwave.
Mephi: Stay focused!
Ziggs: Thank God for air conditioning! But you know what they say, don’t sweat the small stuff.
Mephi: Ziggs that was an order. There’s something out here and we need to be ready. So, stow the chatter. booger hooks on bang switches.
Ziggs: Fine, sergeant smelly-pants. Relax
Mephi: Good men are in danger and you want me to relax. How did they let a soup sandwich like you have weapons?
Mephi: Last time I’m gonna say this. Stow the chatter
Booms: Are you okay, Mephi?
Mephi: I said stow the chatter private! Now eyes up and stay frosty!
Mo sent a private message to Ziggs.
Booms: What’s going on with Meph?
Ziggs: No idea he’s gone full rando commando.
Booms: Let it ride for now. We’ll talk about it later.
Ziggs: Sure thing.
Ziggs: Also, what’s a booger hook?
Booms: Beats me.
Mo focused on the men around him watching as the steam swirled around them. The fact that it wasn’t rising attested to something with an affinity for water and fire controlling it. So, it’ll either be water or fire attacks.
As soon as he thought it droplets of rain fell. The steam dispersed slowly when a flash of flames came from in front of him on the right. Mo sped down the line before the screams could reach his ears, and there were screams. More than he could imagine coming from a small burst of fire like that. The fire cleared up some of the steam but added fuel to the nightmare file. Another blast of fire strafed across the knockers it didn’t touch them, but Mo watched as skin blistered across any of their exposed skin.
It’s scalding them.
Before Mo rushed in, he saw Ziggs slide in front of the stream of fire and block the knockers from the attack. Mo ran towards the chicken’s side while Ziggs held its attention and pulled his twin kukris. At full speed, he hacked into the backside of the drumstick hoping to hamstring the thing.
Your party has attacked
Gallus Vaporidae
(Dual Mutation)
Level 16
-179DP
-30% movement reduction of the left leg
918/1097
Using his forward momentum Mo dropped to his knees, bent over backwards and activated slide which carried him underneath to the other side of the chicken. The chicken whirled to where he had been and almost stumbled. Mo activated electrify on his fist and stabbed his knives into the other leg. The leg straightened out and Mo held onto his hilts for dear life pushing electrify through the blades. He left himself enough mana to cast another spell or two if he lived long enough to regen and climbed the still spasming chicken leg.
The knockers were surrounding the steambird, and their return assault was incoming. The chicken had regained control of its electrified leg and bucked, trying to throw Mo off. He pulled one kukri and stabbed it into the thigh meat using them to climb the bird. The world whirled by as the chicken spun and danced. it flapped its wings and tried to dislodged him.
The chicken swelled like a balloon, and heat radiated off the steamasaurus. In burst of whistling heat and steam, Mo was blown off.
You have been attacked
Gallus Vaporidae
(Dual Mutation)
Level 16
-236DP Steam Explosion Critical Hit
109/345HP
You have received a Debuff x2
Debuff third degree burn
Debuff Blind
Mo struggled to his feet and, luckily, he still had his kukris in hand. He heard the screams and moans of knockers around the field, and then felt something on his left and spun out its line of attack and used his momentum to deliver a downward slash.
Your party has attacked
Gallus Vaporidae
(Dual Mutation)
Level 16
-117DP
Blind in right eye
30% movement reduction of the left leg
549/1097
Mo backpedaled from the bird and spread his kukris in a ready stance, head cocked to listen for any noise. Hearing a few wet slaps, he felt something coming in from his right. He ducked under it holding his kukri in the objects path. Mo felt his kukris slash, and then heard the wing flap over his head.
Your party has attacked
Gallus Vaporidae
(Dual Mutation)
Level 16
-132DP
Blind in right eye
30% movement reduction of the left leg
417/1097
He felt the next incoming blow but activated slide too late. It only glanced but took him down into the double digits.
You have been attacked
Gallus Vaporidae
(Dual Mutation)
Level 16
-69DP Chicken scratch
47/345
Mo rolled with the blow to get some distance and stood up. He heard spells and arrows firing off and stood in his ready position feeling for any approach and watching the damage notifications in the darkness left by his useless eyes.
A squawk in front of him and the sound of pounding feet let him know the vaporidae was charging him. He held a hand in front of him and cast grease. The feet made a rapid scrabbling sound. The sound of a large chicken stumbling didn't prepare him to feel something coming in hot and heavy towards his feet. He jumped as high as he could and while in mid-air felt something aiming at his midsection. He activated speed and reached out placing his hands on what felt like a wing and used it to push himself up and over in a flip clearing the bird.
He la
nded in a roll and moved away from the bird. Knockers voices and the slap of feet descended on the bird’s position. Mo heard the sound of ropes smacking against the ground, and then the silence of the chicken as they bagged it. He read over his notifications and felt a presence on his left.
Mo smiled sagely. “Hey Bonkers”
“So, you can finally see me?”
“Actually, the steam blinded me.”
“So, how did you—”
“Felt you with my Omen shadow. Which has now been renamed ‘The Eyeless Path.’ Boosts my perception by 3 when my vision is impaired,” Mo said smugly.
